[REVISION HISTORY]

Brazil Amazon and Cerrado deforestation trends 2026

Updated 22 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-11 23:57 UTC → 2026-09-19 01:54 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In the first half of 2026, satellite monitoring showed Amazon deforestation fell to 1,295 km², a 32% drop from the same period in 2025 and the lowest total since the DETER-B system began in 2016. ~~Officials attributed the decline to reinforced enforcement launched in 2023, while noting possible El Niño impacts and pending legislative changes.~~ Data for the period of August 2025–July 2026 confirmed Amazon deforestation alerts fell 36.87% to 2,874.38 km², the lowest level recorded since 2016 and 55.6% below the ten-year average. Within this timeframe, the state of Pará reported 987.27 square kilometers under alert, marking a 25.5 percent decrease compared to while the ~~previous year. The~~ Cerrado biome saw a 7.8% reduction in alerts to 5,119.46 km², while the Pantanal experienced a 65.4% drop. State-level reductions were strongest in Mato Grosso (-49%), Amazonas (-46.7%), and Rondônia (-41.2%), while Roraima was the only state with an increase (+32.5%). reduction. President Luiz Inácio Lula da ~~Silva, who has pledged to reach zero deforestation by 2030,~~ Silva described these results as “fantastic.” ~~New~~ However, August 2026 data from the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) ~~for August 2026 shows a~~ indicates diverging ~~trend~~ trends between biomes. Deforestation alerts in the Cerrado decreased by 18.9% compared to August ~~of the previous year,~~ 2025, with the Deter system recording 238 square kilometers of ~~loss.~~ loss—the second-best result for the month since 2018. Experts attribute this to ~~sustained~~ joint ~~efforts between~~ federal and state ~~governments.~~ enforcement efforts. Conversely, ~~the~~ Amazon ~~biome saw a~~ alerts rose by 12.1% ~~increase~~ in ~~alerts during~~ August, ~~rising~~ increasing to 358 square kilometers from 319 square kilometers the previous year. ~~While the quarterly trend for the Amazon remains lower than the previous year, officials~~ Officials expressed concern regarding this monthly spike, particularly in Pará. Complementary reports suggest Indigenous lands serve as vital barriers, with approximately 95% of Indigenous territories in the Cerrado maintaining native vegetation. Additionally, a study examining 578 municipalities in the Legal Amazon found that anti-environmental political rhetoric correlates with increased clearing. Researchers estimated that messages from the presidency contributed to a 17.8% increase in monthly deforestation, while signals from ministers resulted in a 4.5% increase.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.